The Taste of Annandale will have some new features this year.
This free, family-friendly community festival is Sept. 20, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space, 7200 Columbia Pike in the heart of Annandale.
As in the past, the Taste of Annandale features food vendors, live music and dance, beer sales, children’s performances and activities, local businesses, a 5-K run/walk, a chili cookoff, a pet parade and costume contest, a community art project, and local businesses and organizations.
Here’s what’s new for 2025:
- We’re having a petting zoo, we’re calling Animaldale, featuring barnyard animals from Squeals on Wheels.
- There will be an eating contest; details to be announced soon.
- The 5K race will be entirely within Mason District Park, so no more running along Columbia Pike.
- To address the parking issues from last year, plans are under consideration for shuttle bus service from a nearby parking lot.
- We’re expecting more craft and artists than in past years.
Sponsorships and vendor opportunities are available.
There are several categories of sponsorships. If you’re thinking of signing on as a sponsor, please do so as soon as possible so we can include your logo on the marketing materials. Visit this page for information about sponsorships, and access the application here.
Related story: Grow your business at the Taste of Annandale
Vendor spots are filling up fast, so don’t wait too long to submit an application.
The fees for booths are $300 for food vendors (restaurants and caterers); $400 for food trucks ($500 after Aug. 15); $250 for non-food vendors (businesses and organizations); and $250 for artists and crafters.
Click here for the application form.
Sign up here for the pet parade and costume contest, an event hosted by realtor Jame DeSimone. The 5K is hosted by RAMP Optimal Performance and Wellness. Sign-up sheets for the 5K, eating contest, and volunteers will be up soon.
The children’s programming, organized by the ACCA Child Development Center, will include live performances, costumed characters, and hands-on STEM activities.
The Taste of Annandale is hosted by the Annandale-Mason Roundtable, a nonprofit consisting of community stakeholders. Proceeds from the event benefit programs for local youths. Last year, the roundtable donated funds to Annandale High School and Boy Scout Troop 150.
This annual event was launched in 2015 with the goals of encouraging community engagement, celebrating Annandale’s diversity, and shining a spotlight on local businesses and organizations.
The 2024 Taste of Annandale attracted many thousands of people, and this year’s festival promises to be even bigger and better.
For more information, visit https://tasteofannandale.com/ or contact Ellie Ashford, ashford.annandale@gmail.com or Joe Nam Do, joenamdo@gmail.com.
Taste of Annandale - September 20, 2025 